The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-03-19
The Old Maids Story.

The Old Maids Story.
Deacon Smith brought me letter.
1t was from my nephew Tom, and read:
Dear old Auntie: I've lost every
cent of that money. Spec. was n. G.
What's to become of Hetty and the
baby2 Your unlucky Tom.
Ileaned back from my half-eaten sup
per, showed my spectacles on my intel
lectual forehead, and wrinkled my pug
nose with disagreeable thoughts. 1t
seemed that 1 had not escaped domestic
trouble by refusing twenty years before
to marry Hiram Grimwood. Single life
had its vexations, too. Tom was my
favorite nephew-my dear sisters only
child-and from the time I took him
from his nurses arms in petticoats
and brought him home to be the joy
and torment of my life he has kept me
stirred up. Measles and mistakes were
the principal themes of his baby days
aid love and lawlessness attacked him
in turn as he grew older. Inever drew
free breath till he was safely married
to pretty little Hattie Maynard, our
minister's daughter, who had the sense
of the family and the good looks, too.
I was most as much in love with her as
Tom was, but she had one fault-she
didn't see through Tom, and thought
his wild goose chases were sensible, le-
gitimate ways of making money. l al
ways could take care of my money my
self. Giving Tom money was like pour
ing water through seive. But Hattie
believed that Tom was the greatest bus
mess man in the world. She believed
everything that boy told her and even
persuaded me into believing in him,
too.
Now he had done it. had advanced
him ST, 900 of the modest inheritance
that would be his upon my death, on
his sacred assurance that he would dou-
BILE the money and return me that sum.
And he had gone and lost every dollar
The lame and the lazy are always
provided for 1 thought bitterly.
sOf course Hettie and the baby can
not starve. I'll 60 down to the city
and bring them up till Tom gets some
thing to do,-the scamp!'
Now, am an old maid and live alone
since Tom married, and it didn't take
me long to shut the house up. I lent
the cat to my next door neighbor, told
her she might have him for his keep till
l came back, and the bird I took with
me for safe keeping. Somehow, as
was getting ready to go, my heart grew
light and before 1 knew it l was singing
an old love song, though what put il
into my head I can't tell. It's twenty
years since Hiram Grimwood went to
California, and 1 reckon he's been dead
the most of the time, or married, which
is about the same.
When had put on all my things with
my back to the glass turned around
and there stood strange woman. She
gave me an awful stare.
Then saw it was myself and laughed
and laughed. I had on the same black
bombazine dress and bonnet I wore
when Toms mother died, and as that
was about fourteen years ago they hac
come back in fashion, and I looked quite
stylish, and ever since I had the fever
my hair was cut short and curly, and il
hung over my eyes just the way the girl
wear it nowadays. declare looked
so young 1 didn't know myself. Well
its a true saying that there's no fool:
like old fools, and the Lord didn't make
any exception of me.
When 1 got to the station everybody
stared at me as if was show; l did
not take any baggage, cause | warm
going to stay. So I only had a boz
with clean calico in it, and bundle
of sweet herbs for the baby, and some
new shirts for Tom, and the bird cage
and clock 1 wanted to get repaired in
the city.
'All aboard' yelled the conductor
Idon't see any board, Isaid, prompt
ly and man gripped me by the arm
and pulled me on just as the cars started
Then l heard some one ask:
'Who is the innocent old party3'
But I didn't see any party, and
guess they got left.
Talk of adventures. I could write {
book full of what happened to me or
that trip, but it would sound like ro
nance, and nobody would believe it
All, friend, truth is stranger than fiction
and can prove it.
When I got my things settled in the
car I felt kind of homesick and lone
some. There was the old cat left among
strangers at one end of the journey anc
Tom in distress at the other end, and
kind of swinging between the two; ane
thought of the beautiful hymn tha
says:
"This world is all feeting show"
And-now don't laugh-I just laid my
head down on the back of the seat be
fore me, and cried. would not le
Tom know it for the world, but did.
There was man in that seat, but HI
did not take any notice of me. Hi
face was covered with whiskers and HI
looked kind of stern, but real good
looking sort of chap, too. I though
it was he that touched me, and jump
ed as if was shot, but it was the pret
tiest little blonde girl of sixteen I eve
saw.
will you please let me sit with your
she said, and her voice was just like
bird singing, and she had little whit
hand all cushiony and dimpled, on m.
black bombazine arm.
I'm grumpy old thing myself, ant
I felt like saying as heard the rest do
| this seats engaged but when sh